The inventors herein have recognized a need for a battery module having a battery cell with an improved placement of electrical terminals thereon that allows for an improved placement of electrical devices such as interconnect boards and wire harnesses thereon to maximize a battery system energy density by decreasing the unusable space of the battery system. The inventors herein have further recognized that disposing the battery cell on a cooling plate such that the electrical terminals thereof are disposed proximate to the cooling plate, results in an improved dissipation of heat energy from the battery module.